A HERD of organic cattle are settling into their new home on a Gwent reserve after a successful appeal by a wildlife charity to help to buy them.

Gwent Wildlife Trust has taken delivery of eleven Hereford cattle at Pentwyn Farm, near Monmouth, as part of an ongoing conservation initiative to create a mosaic of new wildflower meadows in the area.

The Trust launched its ‘Give for Grazing’ appeal earlier this year to raise the funds to buy a herd but still needs public support to reach its £5,000 target to help maintain the conservation grazing work.

Wildflower meadows are in steep decline but the Trust hope that the cattle, which are considered to be some of the best natural grazers, will help promote wildflower meadows. They join the Trust’s existing Hebridean and Radnorshire sheep flocks.

Tim Green, the Trust’s farming and development wildlife officer, said: “It is great to finally realise our ambition to own cattle and I am looking forward to seeing the positive difference they will make to the meadows. Crucially, it will expand our knowledge of conservation grazing, having both sheep and cattle on site"

"Not only is it a first for Gwent Wildlife Trust to own cattle but it is one of the first times in the UK that pasture-fed certified cattle have been sold from farm to farm.”

The new herd can been seen on ITV Wales’ Coast and Country program on May 6.

Visit www.gwentwildlife.org/Give-for-Grazing